Share this Story

Okla. Governor Signs Extradition Order; Dusten Brown Turns Himself In

Suzette Brewer

9/5/13

Update: Dusten Brown has surrendered to Sequoyah County authorities in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, where he posted bail and was released on his own recognizance. Additionally, Judge Jeffrey Payton moved the date for Brown's extradition hearing, to which he is entitled under Oklahoma statute, from September 12 to October 3. Please visit Indian Country Today Media Network for continuing updates to this story.

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin yesterday signed an extradition order from South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley after she alleged that Dusten Brown was “not acting in good faith.”

Governor Fallin, who is seeking reelection in 2014, issued a brief statement late Wednesday afternoon in which she stated that Brown had not allowed Matt and Melanie Capobianco to visit Veronica, who will be 4 years old next week.

Clark Brewster, attorney for Dusten Brown, called the allegations by the governor “factually incorrect,” and said that Brown had not only allowed numerous visits between Veronica and the Capobiancos, but he also extended an “open arm” invitation, which they declined.

Further, sources say that Brown was forced to cut off those visits when he learned that the Capobiancos were conspiring to flee the state with Veronica and go back to South Carolina with the girl, thereby putting his daughter's safety at risk in what has already become a high conflict, unstable situation.

“The Oklahoma Supreme Court has stayed the transfer of custody of Veronica Brown, and even with this knowledge, Governor Fallin has hastily asserted herself into the judicial process as Dusten seeks his due process,” said Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskins Jr. “Instead of allowing the courts to decide this case, Governor Fallin has used her authority to attempt to coerce Mr. Brown in handing over his daughter. The civil rights of Dusten and Veronica Brown are being ignored.”

Sources said Brown will turn himself in to authorities this morning, but that he would continue to fight extradition to South Carolina, where he has been charged with felony “custodial interference.” The charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison.

Under Oklahoma law, Brown is entitled to an extradition hearing before a judge in Sequoyah County, where he originally bonded out last month after turning himself in for the South Carolina warrant for his arrest.

Fallin's spokesman, Alex Weintz, said the governor's legal staff had communicated with “all parties.” But Brown's lawyers insist that they attempted to discuss the legalities of the situation with Fallin, but that she refused and issued the order. “

The events of today, and the events of the last four years should frighten every parent, and more specifically, every single father in Oklahoma,” said Hoskins. “Additionally, Governor Fallin has issued a statement that contains false information about Mr. Brown, knowing full well that [he] is bound by a gag order, cannot respond and defend himself in the media. This is unacceptable and Oklahomans will not forget.”

According to pollsters and campaign trackers in both states, it would appear that Fallin's sudden move in signing the extradition without due process or factual basis comes with motives that have more to do with party politics than the future of a 4-year-old tribal member in her own state.

Fallin and Haley both spoke at the Republican National Convention last year to showcase the party's female leadership. Both women are known to be warm colleagues who are “in constant contact” and are up for reelection in 2014, having appeared together at numerous events, including the annual Goldwater Institute fundraising event in Arizona.

Haley, however, currently has an approval rating in the 30-40 percent range in South Carolina. Sources there say that she is deeply disliked and distrusted by elements of the Republican party of that state, who have never been comfortable with her as governor. Haley launched her reelection campaign in late August against South Carolina Democratic state senator Vincent Sheheen, whom she defeated in 2010 by a narrow margin.

Fallin, who enjoys a 70 percent approval rating, long ago signaled her intent to run in 2014 and has already begun fundraising for her upcoming reelection bid on her website, www.maryfallin.org, whose tagline is “Making Oklahoma First.”

According to public records, she pulled in over $500,000 in the second quarter of this year for a total of nearly $1 million in her war chest for 2014. Her largest contributors appear to be among the energy and banking sectors, though tribes did contribute in the last election cycle.

“She has shown her hand and Mary is clearly in it for Mary,” said one tribal leader who declined to be identified. “She couldn't care less about Veronica Brown and she just wants all of this to go away because it's interfering with her narrative for reelection. But there is no way she will recover with her tribal constituents after this. So, we begin by using our voices to promote voter registration and by supporting the candidate who really understands how to make Oklahoma first.”

But as Dusten Brown awaits his fate regarding extradition to South Carolina, Fallin and Haley will have plenty of time to discuss their next steps at their upcoming donor events.

You need to be logged in in order to post commentsPlease use the log in option at the bottom of this page

Comment *

POST A COMMENT

Comments

The staff at Indian Country and Suzette Brewer really deserve to be commended for their coverage of these cases. They are currently the only news source in the United States that consistently reports correct facts in these stories tells them honestly in a way that doesn't cover up the crimes that have been commited against these parents and children and how much damage it has done, not only to them but to our society. Thank you Indian Country for your commitment to journalism, which unfortunately is apparently rare these days. You deserve the Pulitzer for you coverage of these cases.

So true, John. I have followed this case since viewing the Phil McGraw show in October 2012.. I have read virtually everything out there in the www. My huge dismay has been how slothful and inaccurate the majority of news agencies are including Ms. Totenberg on NPR, (a source I had previously relied on for careful, informed objective reporting). The tacit and otherwise open support against Mr. Brown's ordeal has been profoundly disappointing. A little off topic; but I conclude this to be true of media reporting in general. That does not serve us; biased inaccurate journalism. I too am thankful to Indian Country for this and other well informed stories. Kudos! I am smudging and offering deep prayers for that darling child and implore Creator to watch over her for her safety and well being.

These washichu leaders are shameful in what they are conspiring to do against our brother of the Cherokee Nation. Tribal legal teams, please feel free to attack from all corners & at every avenue. This is an outrage against ALL tribal nations across Turtle Island.
These people in positions of power have chosen to ignore our treaty rights & laws that protect we First Nations people. They have shamed their country & those they were elected by to uphold ALL laws of the USA.
They have chosen to willfully ignore our peoples rights & protections. Instead, choosing to turn a blind eye ion favor of those with money & influential political friends. This is a bastardization of justice & a corruption of all that is of a good way according to the Great Spirit.
Woe to those such as these politicians, wicked white couples & evil lawyers conspiring to commit a crime of such magnitude lying to steal OUR people's children!
Beware those who are like this because the Creator knows your hearts & evil spirits. A curse comes to those like this.

Someone needs to determine if Gov. Fallin is involved with The Fellowship/The Family/C Street (the fundamentalist-political-business-military cabal that has been working against American workers since the New Deal and has a side line in supporting some of the most murderous dictators on the planet for the past 65 years.) along with Oklahoma Senators Coburn and Inhofe.
One of the Veronica stories on this site had a link to an article in 'The Nations' about the evangelical adoption industry and noted Inhofe's involvement writing laws to their benefit.

I did not know until recently Melanie Duncan Capobianco was related to the South Carolina Duncans of the political family. That puts a lot in perspective. No wonder South Carolina has ruled for them over and above any illegality of the adoption and of course they rushed to "finalize" the adoption of a political family member!
I also did not know until I read "The Feminist Defense" about the Guatamalan babies. If the US adoption industry can't go steal babies from other countries, they have to find the poor here. There was no "abandonment" and everyone knows it. It amazes me at the ability to keep Christy Maldonado's pictures out of the news. Now, we hear Dusten has had to file another appeal to the Ok Supreme Court. Has no one noticed this is a Republican-sided circus? South Carolina's Nikki Haley, Roberts of the SCOTUS, Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, and the Godwins (of the adoption agency) are said to be ardent Republican supporters, even Newt Gingrich had to put his 2cents in. Perhaps someone could go to other countries and say, "the real red line is this: hand over your babies and no one gets attacked."
Suzette Brewer truly does deserve a lot of credit and so does ICT. It's too bad they can't afford the money to do a real investigation of this case and the Republican angle in why they are so desperate to keep taking babies from their biolgocial families.
Christy Maldonado did not have a "right" to do with Veronica, or her other two children, as "she pleased" - if so, no man should have to pay child support to mothers who go on welfare. She, the Cs and the agency conspired for her to sell the baby.
Oklahoma has a Republican-based supreme court. The Cs and the adoption agency will be able to buy it.

(my other post did not post)
why are so many big name Republicans ruling for an illegal adoption? I did not realize until recently Melanie Duncan Capobianco was the daughter of the former South Carolina speaker of the house. Now it all makes sense. Even that the case was expedited by SCOTUS Justice John Roberts, himself the question of illegally adoption.
If Dusten Brown "abandoned" his daughter and therefore has no right to her, then any man who "abandons" his pregnant girlfriend and she goes on welfare should have to pay child support. This was an illegal adoption from the start.

I do not live in OK, but why are there only 18 comments on Governor Mary Fallin's testimonial page if she has raised so much money for re-election? (From her home page, click the View All link under the section titled “What Others Are Saying About Mary” Why do they all seem to speak of the Congresswoman? Isn't she a sitting governor seeking re-election? Why does her link on that testimonial page to "Click here to view messages from other Oklahomans on why they support Mary Fallin for governor!" link to a speech she gave for Romney when he was running against the then sitting President Obama? Is it that she has a poor Web administrator, or that she has no time to review such an important Web site as her first point of contact Web site for her re-election, or is it that she has no idea what’s on her own Web site, or that she’s just not that concerned with factual information even if (oops) it’s on her own Web site?
Mary Fallin’s tagline is "Making Oklahoma First," not "Putting Oklahomans First.” Oklahomans are people. Oklahoma is a piece of real estate. This woman signed extradition orders on a non-violent “offender” who is a military father with no abuse allegations against himself in regards to his daughter and who is simply trying to maintain his right to raise his own flesh and blood when the mother of his child clearly has no interest in raising her own child. The Capobiancos have no right to “expect” to see a child who has a loving father and an extended family. Dusten Brown is a father who stepped up to the plate to take care of his own child. Governor Fallin is a person who is “…committed to upholding the rule of law”—even if it’s against a non-violent “offender” being charged with a bogus felony. Veronica Brown does not need to “find” a “permanent” home as Governor Fallin seems to think. She has one with her father--an Oklahoman--and his people.
Helping to destroy the family of one of her constituents is not putting her fellow Oklahoman first. Ripping a child from the only biological parent who wants to care for her is not putting her fellow Oklahoman first.
But then again, Governor Fallin wants Dusten Brown to reach a “quick settlement” with the Capobiancos. Isn’t that what you hope for when you’re talking about real estate…and not a person’s life? Veronica Brown is not a piece of real estate to be time-shared. She is a human-in-being, and, in this case, it is clear that she deserves to be raised by her biological father.

LookoutMtn, I live in SC. What SC House Speaker are you referring to? I'm a political junkie and the only Duncan I can recall is current upstate US Rep. Jeff Duncan. Thanks for her maiden name though, I was curious about that.
The Republican connection is to The Fellowship/The Family/C Street as I have previously referred to. There a few Democratic members in DC, but it is overwhelmingly Republican. And, I think this case is a rearing of its ugly head in state politics.